K53TA.. The best deal ever... could be!

yes. scrolling and highlighting text are slightly laggy with 12.3 dgpu

 

I'm using 12.3 and working fine

 

it's very slight lag. To see it, you would have to tag firefox on high performance graphics to see it, and compare it to power saving mode.

power saving mode is much smoother and faster. Dunno why ff doesn't play nice with dgpu.

highlighting text- there is a split second delay where it lags behind your mouse cursor.
also when you grab the scroll bar on the right side of browser, and drag down to scroll, you'll notice it does not keep up with mouse cursor in high performance mode like it does in power saving mode.

just a minor annoyance that can be solved by putting ff in power saving mode, and plugin-container.exe on high performance if desired.

 

I don't find their is any need to put browser on dGPU though?

 

So, from anyone with experience in doing any hardware upgrades, what would be the best bang for dat dere buck? I know some people have had success putting in A8s, but from what I remember, there wasn't that much of an increase in anything? I've thought about an SSD, but I am really loathe to get rid of the CD drive. Other than that, I could just replace the HDD, though I'm not sure if that would be anymore worth it than the other two.

Also, has anyone found a backlit keyboard that is compatible with this laptop?

 

If I were to make an upgrade It would be as follows:
Ram
SSD instead of the CD drive (I have a USB one laying around)
Screen swap from the G series (full 1080p).

 

Yes, except for the SSD. Rather than swapping out the SSD for the CD drive, swap the default harddrive with an SSD and then put the harddrive in rather than the cd drive. The reason is because you'd be bottlenecking the SSD's speed by putting it into a SATA enclosure.

Otherwise, if you know of a SATA II/III enclosure that can go in the place of the disk drive, PLEASE let me know!

 

All I can say is damnnn. Thank you guys for sticking with developing hacks for this older laptop. I just installed the 212 hacked bios and overclocked the 6650 to 700/1000 k10 running at 2.6 for every state with a 3.0 boost it upped my 3dmark06 score from 7695 to 9341. Only thing was the 7695 score was with default speeds for the gpu. Excellent work there148, link626 and atoneapone for the guide. You guys rock!

Edit: for the hell of it I ran the same benchmark at stock gpu speeds and just got 8476, an increase of almost 800 pts for a free upgrade of bios and graphics drivers is awsome to me. Thanks again!

 

What about the temperatures?

 

Just ran 3dmark06 and cpu peaked at 74 gpu was 70

This was using the 12.1 drivers Skyrim def saw an increase in fps didn't have much time to test anything else yet, gonna try to run vantage tonight

 

Glad to help & keep spreading the word on how to maximize greater performance from this phenomenally inexpensive ~$400+ laptop!
Asus Bios 212 Mod
K53TA WIKI
It's all still very new and everyone's setups will vary in the bugs and workarounds depending on which graphic driver you have, but the new Bios Mod should work equally well in all drivers of AMD 12.xx series.

 

I have the same problem...it started after the modded BIOS and running dedicated only. Any significant overclock causes lost textures and purple textures all over the screen.

Before I could OC the GPU to 700/1050 all day.

 

Yeah turns out it was just the bios. Going back to the 207 bios fixed this, tradeoff is no dedicated only option.



Another question, how hot do your laptops get when running games? My skyrim / dxhr run to roughly 75C+ processor and 80C+ for dgpu on 1500 mhz / 0.875 V with crossfire off. I feel like this is too hot for the settings I'm using, anyone know what might be causing this / have any tips to reduce temperatures? Should I try a cooling mod?

Thanks!

 

hmmm, did you try your benchmarks and TEMPS on games when in "Dynamic mode" under the bios 212 mod instead of fixed mode? Under bios 212 mod the dynamic mode is supposed to act like the high performance mode on older bios 206,207 etc.

When I use the modded bios, I usually play all my games in dynamic mode and only save the fixed mode for troublesome games like openGL ones and games that refuse to play off the the dGPU(6650M). When I choose Fixed mode I see performance hits in my games. For example, FPS in Batman AC went from (59max 45avg) to (37max 30avg); I didn't compare TEMPS, but maybe they were higher like what you observed. In dynamic mode I thought everything (performance & TEMPS) should be just like before under old Bios. The new bios mod is really a great bonus for everyone when more performance is needed from those few troublesome apps and games.

Maybe you are seeing a difference in TEMPS & performance due to new AMD drivers (12.2, 12.3, 12.4b), since they are introducing all kinds of bugs interfering with other software that control overclock of cpu and high idle dgpu clocks. So I stuck with 12.1 and see the same good performance benchmarks in games I was seeing under older Bios. There are workarounds for using 12.2 and 12.3 well, but you have to follow guidelines that require you to stop using Power4Gear or use K10stat without turbo boost (the reason why I'm with 12.1 since I like things to be the same).

 

you can mod 207 and get dedicated on that aswell.

 

I got the temps using the 207 bios (so no mod / no crossfire), 12.1 drivers (12.2 on were buggy like you said) and turbo boost off. I originally ran at 2.0 mhz / 1.0125 V resulting in 85C+, so I reduced clock speeds to 1.5 mhz / 0.8750 V, but even then the core temps were near 80C. Also ran these games with the 212 bios and got similar results, not too sure what to do at this point =(

 

I'm with A6, 2.0Ghz - 1.0V, Bf3 max 78, crossfire off, because of stuttering, 12.3 driver pack, 212 stock bios.
Other games run much cooler but something odd happened. I played bf3 with 2.1Ghz-1.3V never went above 80celsius, now its 82 or more and the fan speed is getting crazy, even getting some cpu throttling.
Did anyone noticed this?

 

so high temps didn't have anything to do with mod? Atleast that's good to know. A few other people also had high TEMP issues but their temps were 95C...not sure if you think your laptop needs repairs. I would guess that something physical may be wrong with the cpu cooling (maybe as simple as the thermal paste worn away and needing repasting). Someone with expertise would have to advise you, since I'm not knowledgeable at laptop modding or repairs. The highest temps I've seen on mine with a high oc 2.6ghz and 650/1000gpu, were around 84 C on either BF3, Dirt3, or BatmanAC. I usually see around 78-81C max and average around 74C on long intense games with oc 2.0 to 2.2Ghz & 640/960gpu. I think you're safe as long as you rarely see higher than 88C. (if you begin seeing 90s than something is definitely wrong). A laptop cooler may help a little 1-2C but not a whole lot.

 

cpu can go up to 100C.

don't be scared.

cpu would auto shutoff if it were too hot.

also, all the temp variations some of you are seeing are most likely due to room temp variation.
If your room is hotter in the summer, you will see higher cpu temps !
do you have a digital thermometer in your room?
saying your cpu went up 2 C doesn't mean much.

 

Link's right. It's probably normal (due to room temp variation) as the warmer days of Spring are here. I just tested my laptop (CPU 2.2 @ 1.15v
GPU OC @ 640/960) in a warm 84F room playing RE5 and temps shot up to 85C one of the warmest I've seen. These CPUs are rated to go up to 100C, but I'd probably take frequent quick breaks atleast every hour to give yourself and the PC rest.

 

My pc's max is 77C. When I have my cooler on for a few minutes BEFORE I start playing I can bump it down a few degrees, otherwise if i turn it on when it's already at 77 then there will be no change.

Info:
CPU 2.0 @ 1.0v
GPU OC @ 660/960

Max temp actually can reach 78C or 79C I think if i don't use a fan and I game for extended periods of time. On other games that aren't so demanding it's usually ~67C. It's either you have your pc in a bad spot or your things just got hot a lot quicker. I don't know if it is like this for everyone but overclocking my GPU barely adds an extra degree.

If I were to go 2.4ghz I would be around 84C but the difference is not significant at all. Like everyone else said though the 80's are not bad and are pretty common and no biggy but if you get in the 70's then you're smooth sailing and can game for like 10 hours in a row. (I do that sometimes)

I had a laptop before this one (Radeon X1200, 1.0 or 1.2ghz processor) that would run games with about 70-85C but I cannot remember the exact amount. Either way I played games making this thing hot and I'm sure that it could only handle 85 (80C or 85C cant remember). Either way I stressed it to the max and it was always doing just fine untill I overheated the pc multiple times by putting it into my laptop bag before the pc shut down so it went into sleep and got too hot. That.. and I hit the heck out of that computer when I was raging but that's all different now because this new laptop is the bomb.

 

for those who top fps at 60 in games, you have to disable vertical sync. That's what I did and I maxed at 113fps in WoW. However increasing fps produce more heat! So watch your temp carefully!

 

no.

you must have broke it on the software side

 

Ahh yeah, I'll definitely try that out.

Sounds good. Thanks!

Did you find a fix for this? I'm using 12.1 but my dgpu does not downclock during idle (runs at 99% usage at idle too...).

 

That's strange, I'm also on 12.1 but don't notice this. What are you using to assess clock speeds?
These are my highest idle readings using "Fixed mode" on graphics & High performance.
Afterburner graphs:
GPU1 usage @ 0% on idle with minor spikes.
GPU1 core clock fluctuates between 100&600 MHZ (GPU-z shows no reading).
GPU1 memory clock fluctuates between 150&900 MHZ (GPU-z confirms this).
GPU temp is idle at around 52C.
AMD system monitor also confirms low idle usage 6650M @0% & 6520g fluctuates @0-15%.

All readings are slightly higher than usual because of Fixed mode causing this, but even lower when in normal "dynamic mode."

 

Whats wrong.
Iam on catalyst 12.4 beta and flashed the modded 212 bios.
Everything went fine. But when i choose "High performance gpu"

Gpu-z shows my Core Clock @ 100mhz
and the Memory Clock is @ 150mhz.

It won't go any higher!

In dynamic mode it works just fine and will hit the 650Mhz if needed... :S

 

Link626 found that 12.4 is broken in fixed mode. So better go back to 12.3. I would go with 12.1 or 12.3.
Link's post about 12.4>>
http://forum.notebookreview.com/asus/601808-k53ta-best-deal-ever-could-295.html#post8430479

 

Has anyone found a fix for the blue screens in battlefield with the modded bios? I really want to use that card on dx9 games but it's not a good tradeoff if I can't play BF3.

 

I had the same problem. After reinstalling the video drivers multiple times, I decided to try using dynamic mode with the game. Worked like a charm. I have no clue why it blue screens with fixed mode, but it runs just as well so I have no problem switching back and forth between the modes.

 

Dynamic is the way to go. BF3 runs ok that way.
And most games don't run as well on fixed mode as dynamic mode. Fixed mode is only useful for openGL apps & games and other games that won't recognize dgpu. For BF3, I was getting BSOD on 11.12 drivers also, but 12.1 is ok now.

 

which driver are you using, and did you try different ones?

 

Hey thanks good no know that!

I have tried 12.1, 12.2, 12.3

currently using 12.3 since it's giving me no general issues compared to 12.1/12.2

 

I have this notebook, its a great buy. Recomend upgrading the ram though, gotta have 8 gigs. Surprisingly good video card too for the price.

 

amd a6 3400m cpu overclock underclock lowest possible voltages to reduce temp and increse battery

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...ER3eG8tTjZvdWc

 

Which is the best combination of driver and bios for maximum gaming performance??

 

What kind of performance are you all getting on Skyrim? This is a very interesting thread. Tried searching it, but the search function appears to be not working for some reason.

 

There are better, for example I am OC'ed 2.0Ghz @ 1.0v some other people can go even lower but it depends on your own hardware.

It really depends on your own PC. I use bios 207 with catalyst 12.3

As far as bios anything seems good after 207.

I get good performance. I don't enable shadows because they look like crap so instead I have those completely off (by editing the SkyrimPrefs.ini) and I have MSAA turned on x4 since it looks almost identical to x8 and better performance is a bonus, and everything else is max along with resolution.I even have more detailed mods installed that eat away a few fps. As far as my average fps I don't know nor have I cared to look recently since It always runs smooth I'll edit this thread in a bit if i look into it after I eat.

Edit: Being outside in the wide areas it likes to be around 33 fps and likes to jump in the 40's in some spots. In caves you don't have to worry obviously.. you'll be hitting the 60 mark. Whiterun runs smooth, it does go a little below 30 fps when im zoomed out of my character and im walking down the steps of Dragonsearch. I am overclocked to give me about 4 extra fps. I am running skyrim with HD water, terrain, sky, clothing, models, etc. If I take those off I'd get even better performance but I love the eye candy. Needless to say skyrim is easy to play

Edit 2: So apparently If you set your shadows to High and make MSAA x0 you will get pretty much exactly the same amount of FPS as you would with shadows completely off but with MSAA x4. Shadows on Ultra look almost no different but eat away another 6-10+ FPS (depending on your spot). I personally like smoothed edges and characters more so than shadows.

 

Edit: I'm using 12.3 with the modded 212 bios on fixed mode and it appears on fixed mode the OC'ed dgpu does go down to 100/150 on idle so the 12.3 drivers work just fine on fixed.

Valid point my good sir!

 

That's good to know if it's true. But, it has been experienced by many to have high idle clock problems, no? Otherwise it should function as well or better than earlier drivers.

 

Well ya it was having high idle clocks and I was around 58C but when I installed the modded bios 212 and switched to Fixed it likes to down clock the second i go idle and stay at 53C or below. From the looks of it the driver just doesn't like dynamic very much.

 

any of you guys have experience with Geek Squad repairs? They said 3-5 weeks turnaround, does it ever take longer or shorter?

I'll be honest, I treat my laptop like bbq sauce and I had to give it to them for repair for one main issue (power jack was loose) and two minor ones (excessive DVD player noise + messed up ethernet). This all probably has to do with me dropping this laptop (more than once, on carpet).

I gotta admit though, I miss this laptop so much. Was such a beast for the price, OC'ing and was going to stick another 4 gigs in there. I hope they don't send me back a dif model.

 

really though, why are you dealing with geek squad? I don't trust them for anything.
there's a 1 year asus direct warranty with asus authorized repair centers around the country. Should be faster turn around I imagine.
I would keep harassing geek squad if they took too long

 

That's too long for something so simple as a loose power jack, but I've never dealt with Geek Squad; keep pressuring them & sound upset so they fix it faster. Though they may have had to order a new dvd player part (reason for long wait). I dropped mine once since it was on the edge of a table while I had it connected to an external monitor+keyboard, and now I have a partially bent power jack. I learned from that mistake by keeping the laptop on it's own table (a chair) . I'm probably 2 or 3 drops from being in your situation....fortunately never had any other problems...yet .

I decided if the power jack problem ever happened , I'd probably attempt to take it apart myself (undetected without voiding my warranty )to increase the support of the jack. Someone else found that the power jack isn't attached to the motherboard; it's a separate part with wired cord to the motherboard. But the jack has some cheap plastic support keeping it in--so probably an easy fix with strong tape.

 

Just finished playing through the Diablo 3 beta with the cpu at 2.6/3.0 boost and the gpu at 700/1000 with the dgpu selected manually and it ran without a hitch. Fps mainly between 40-50fps with very few slowdowns here and there. Msi Afterburner reported a max temp of 85c during a 3hr gaming session. Settings for d3 were maxed except for shadows were at medium, jumping to high dropped easily 10fps which is Def not worth it. This was at naitive res as well.

 

You were murdering your computer at those temperatures! You should be fine running the game at 2 ghz and 2.4 boost tops. The difference in temps would be at least 10 C lower.

 

Hey guys! Made an account just to post on this thread. So can anybody tell me again the point of the modded 212 bios? As far as I can tell everybody is having GPU throttling problems with it.

Oh also does anybody know how much of a bottleneck the CPU is on gaming performance? I've read people saying that OC'ing the CPU improved the performance much more than simply overclocking the GPU.

 

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No throttling issues from the 212mod....
CPU overclocking is the most important thing you can do with this laptop. But most people only overclock each core to 2.0GHZ or a little higher to avoid any throttling issues. Throttling may occur at very high cpu overclocking 2.6 to 3.0ghz (threshold for throttling varies between different PCs). GPU overclock usually adds another 3 to 5+FPS depending on how high you go. (I just OC a little since I never did any cooling mods to the laptop; @640/960 I get +3FPS).

Refer to 212BIOS MOD & AsusWIKI for more info.
Purpose of 212 bios mod: In AMD Vision CCC, To Manually Select discrete GPU (6650M) so games/apps that wouldn't recognize the 6650M (eg. OpenGL Games like Rage, Minecraft, etc) will now see and use the 6650M instead of the slower 6520G. You should use it only when needed for openGL apps/games and leave the graphics on Dynamic mode most of the time. Then AMD graphics will function like you never modded the bios.

 

nah. 85c after 3 hours is fine.

no such problem.

that's funny. for a few minutes, you can run as fast as a core i7.

i dare you to run some video encoding for 2 hours at that speed.